MOC men claim double-OT win

MOUNT OLIVE -- It took three years and 106 minutes, but the Trojan men's soccer senior class has a win over UNC Pembroke.

Mike Garrett scored the game's only goal in the 106th minute as Mount Olive defeated UNC Pembroke 1-0 in NCAA Division II non-conference men's soccer Wednesday at Trojan Field. Garrett's goal came just seconds after Ryan Adamski captured his own shot off the crossbar and found Garrett for the game-winner. Trojan goalkeeper Chris Roush recorded his first shutout of the season as he recorded five saves, including a save on a line shot in the first minute of the second overtime.

In a match played in a steady rain from start to finish, Mount Olive (3-3-0) came close on a number of scoring chances in the first half, including a header by Adamski that went just wide of the left post and a 15-yard shot by Adam Caston that hit the right post. UNC Pembroke goalkeeper Richard Sallin made a pair of key saves in the first, getting a hand on the ball to deflect a shot by Adamski and making a diving save on Adrian Daniel's shot from the top of the box.

UNC Pembroke (2-3-1) had three corner kicks in a span of 49 seconds early in the second half, but Mount Olive blocked the lone shot attempt by the Braves. Roush made a save on a shot by Trond Myrland late in the second half and Trojan defender Brandon Mills' slide tackle cleared a ball out of the box in the final minutes to send the match into overtime.

Roush made another save on a shot by Myrland in the second minute of overtime and Adamski's shot one minute later skipped off the wet grass and off the post before Sallin was able to cover the ball. Mount Olive had a corner kick opportunity with 10 seconds remaining, but UNCP was able to clear the ball out and force a second overtime.

Each team had a shot in the first minute of overtime, as Adamski's shot attempt from just outside the box was blocked. UNC Pembroke launched a counter attack and Domenick Rometsch drilled a shot from 20 yards out, but Roush caught the ball on the fly to keep the match going. The shot would be UNC Pembroke's last of the match.

In the sixth minute of the second overtime, Adamski dribbled the ball inside the box and his shot hit off the crossbar. The ball deflected directly back to Adamski, who served wide to the left post to Garrett, who scored from 10 yards out to end the match at the 105:33 mark.

"We just kept plugging away," said Garrett, a senior defender from Swansboro, N.C. "We had a lot of shots that wouldn't go in, but we kept telling ourselves not to get down, that we're going to score."

Mount Olive is back in action Saturday as the Trojans play host to nationally 11th-ranked Limestone in a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference match-up. Match time is 3:30 p.m. at Trojan Field.

The win was the first over UNC Pembroke for Mount Olive's nine seniors. The Trojans fell 1-0 at UNCP last year when both teams were nationally-ranked in the top 25 and fell 2-0 at home in 2004. As freshmen, Garrett and his teammates held a 1-0 lead over UNC Pembroke when the game was called due to severe weather and was never rescheduled.

"This is a great win for us, beating a team that's regularly among the best in the region and even in the nation," said Garrett. "I'm glad we could give our crowd something to cheer about."

Mount Olive (4-4-0) suffered its fourth consecutive loss after opening the season with four straight wins. The Trojans outshot Chowan 10-5 in the first, but were unable to put the ball in the back of the net. Chowan (4-3-1) scored its first goal in the 30th minute and added an insurance goal in the 83rd minute.

Goalkeeper Ali O'Steen recorded five saves for the Trojans.

Mount Olive resumes Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference action Saturday as the Trojans play host to Limestone. Match time is 1 p.m. at Trojan Field.

MOC spikers

fall on the road

LAURINBURG -- Mount Olive held leads in two of the three games, but St. Andrews rallied for a 31-29, 30-12, 30-25 victory over the Trojans in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference volleyball Wednesday at Laurinburg, N.C. Wednesday's match marked the return of Trojan head coach Sasha Gutor, who has spent the past four weeks overseas coaching the Ukrainian Women's Volleyball National Team.

Mount Olive (3-6 overall, 2-3 CVAC) held a 27-25 lead in game one before St. Andrews (9-6, 3-0) rallied for four unanswered points.

The Trojans fought off a pair of game points before St. Andrews closed out the first game. The Knights used a 10-0 run midway through the second game to take a two-game lead.

The Trojans jumped out to a 12-5 lead in game three, but St. Andrews rallied to take a four-point lead of its own at 21-17. Mount Olive came back to tie the game 24-24, but St. Andrews scored five of the final six points of the match to seal the win.

Sam Mitchell and Alicia Mote led the Trojans with nine kills apiece, while Joanie Werling recorded 14 assists and five blocks. Corie Skislak added four blocks and Heather Pope recorded a career-high four aces.

Lindsey Stansbury led St. Andrews with a match-high 15 kills, while Tara Lemieux added 13 kills.

Mount Olive begins a six-match homestand Saturday as the Trojans play host to Queens in CVAC action. Mount Olive defeated Queens in four games this past Saturday. Match time is 2 p.m. at Kornegay Arena.